Iran´s nuclear deal: miracle or just a time break?

Whilst the Iran deal has been welcomed by many as an important step towards the normalization of Iran’s relations with the West, it has been sharply criticised by others as a disastrous error of diplomacy. This article argues that there are huge difficulties to be overcome before a long-lasting solution is reached over Iran’s nuclear programme. Nonetheless, both sides have finally taken that single first step towards peace and reconciliation, and we should not ignore its importance after so many false starts. However, the journey is still in its very beginning

Potências médias emergentes e desafios à segurança global: o caso do Brasil e da Turquia. Implicações para Portugal

A ordem global actual difere fundamentalmente da ordem mundial caracterizada pela multipolaridade clássica ou bipolaridade da Guerra Fria. Existem muitos mais centros de poder e entidades não estados-nação com poderes: empresas multinacionais, grupos terroristas, organizações não-governamentais e até indivíduos. Dois países em rápido crescimento, a Turquia e o Brasil, ambos membros não permanentes do Conselho de Segurança das Nações Unidas, chegaram a um acordo surpreendente em Maio de 2010 sobre o programa nuclear do Irão. Tradicionalmente, o Brasil e a Turquia eram países que se inseriam no círculo de infl uência dos Estados Unidos, mas agora parecem decididos a questionar a sua confi ança na supremacia americana. Em ambos os casos, as suas ambições são globais. Esta apresentação retrata o Brasil e a Turquia no teatro das relações internacionais, especialmente no contexto da dinâmica de mudança das relações internacionais, e no âmbito económico, político, e carácter de segurança de cada país, analisando as perspectivas futuras de cada um. Debruçando-se sobre Portugal, esta comunicação enquadra a actual situação política e económica do país, assim como os seus principais objectivos, aspirações e interesses, no contexto da realidade política externa. Da mesma forma, defi nem-se as razões pelas quais Portugal necessita de se envolver de forma dinâmica com estes dois países, em termos bilaterais e multilaterais, sem descurar, naturalmente, os valores e interesses associados às suas alianças com os EUA e a UE

Global Threats and European security: Reassessing Pro-national European Nationalism

Abstract: The European Union currently faces a plethora of security threats, which are global in nature, cause and treatment. This dangerous situation has not only put the key European humanistic and democratic values at risk, but also the European project in itself. Moreover, it has emphasised the need for redefining its ideological limitations. Under this prism, two main questions arise: How can one perceive Europeanism today, and to what extent can old European nationalist conceptions contribute to a better understanding of Europe’s current global security strategy? In this context, this work tests the demonstration and relevance of Giuseppe Mazzini’s pronational European nationalism rhetoric in the current European security agenda. The methodological approach to this challenge is based on an essentially conceptual analysis of the European security strategy, focusing on ‘The Global strategy for the foreign and security policy of the European Union’, in light of Mazzini’s thoughts of nationalism and unity, as presented in his work. The main argument of this paper is that the concept of Pro-national European Nationalism is present in the current security documents. However, this seems to limit the ambition of the vision itself

European Security Strategy in the 21st Century: The Blair Doctrine Revisited

The work analyses the nature of the 2003 ESS and its 2008 review, evaluating the successes and limits of these documents, under the light of the changing European security scene. The post-9/11 political adventurisms and Blair’s doctrine serve as a guide on EU’s next steps

The Evolution of the EU’s Security Model Through the Lenses of the Balkans

As the world stage evolves, the EU has faced multiple security challenges in terms of instability and geostrategic competition starting in its back yard. Since the end of the Cold War, the security model of Europe has been evolving as a response to internal as well as to external challenges. The Balkans has since played a key role in the European security system and governance. However, the Western Balkans remains fragile, and the external pressures and internal divisions could deliver fresh instability to the region. Thus, this scenario forms a fit-for-purpose case study to test the EU’s future security model. It can be argued that the EU has the power of adaptation and growth, although its internal malfunctions have scrutinised its influence in the region and beyond, while other great powers urge to fill the power vacuum. As a result, a quantum leap forward in EU leadership appears to be critical. This article first outlines the EU’s deepening and widening security sector. Second, it examines the weaknesses and strengths of the EU’s current security model. It then observes the role and perspectives of the region's key strategic allies and competitors: the United States, Russia, and China. Finally, it discusses the EU’s future model

Introduction to Quantitative Approaches for Triangulation in International Relations: A Basic Guide

In today’s digital era, information flows through multiple channels and a large amount of data becomes available on a daily basis. Government sources, social media, international organisations, and even business corporations use numerical data to communicate with the general public. The recent devastating global pandemic that affected every part of the world is a typical example of this reality. During the pandemic, each government chose a course of decisions and actions that were made based on statistics. International Relations, an interdisciplinary field of study that combines economics, history, and political science to investigate issues such as global poverty, economic growth rates, globalisation, security, and climate change, also employs mathematical formulae and statistical models to produce specific results. Therefore, quantitative methods for research are a key tool available to scholars, researchers, practitioners, and university students of IR. Under this prism, this article focuses on the importance of quantitative methods for triangulation in IR. Quantitative approaches, such as Game Theory and Statistical Analysis, are vital not just as independent research methodologies, but also as important components of qualitative research in IR. The main argument of this paper is that the choice between qualitative-quantitative research remains vivid among IR scholars. Nonetheless, this appears to be a case of synergy rather than antagonism between the two. Under this scope, this work shall highlight the relevance of quantitative approaches for triangulation in IR qualitative research, providing examples of certain research cases

Reflexões sobre a guerra na Ucrânia: novas ilusões ou verdadeiras promessas para a segurança europeia?

No dia 24 de fevereiro a invasão da Ucrânia pela Rússia coloca fim a um período de três décadas de uma ‘paz fria’, como descrito por Bugajski (Bugajski 2004). Na realidade, após o fim da guerra fria, o Oriente e o Ocidente distanciaram-se sistematicamente. Entre 1999 e 2020 a OTAN (Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte), desconsiderando as promessas verbais que a administração americana sob a liderança de George Bush tinha dado à Rússia de que a Organização não iria ultrapassar a fronteira oriental de uma Alemanha unida, avança para um grande alargamento, inclusive integrando países que fazem fronteira com a Rússia, como a Letónia e a Estónia. Por sua vez, Putin inicia uma estratégia sistemática e de longo prazo para recuperar a influência russa sobre os seus antigos satélites e limitar a presença e influência ocidentais em regiões consideradas chave para sua segurançainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Justice and Politics in the European Union: The Court of Justice and the Future of European Integration

This article reviews the Court’s evolution, function and main decisions and discusses its role, not only as an exclusively legal institution but also as a political player capable of driving forward European integration. This article claims that the Court has pushed forward integration process in some important ways, clarifying and extending EU law. However, the Court is primarily a legal institution of an intergovernmental organization, the European Union. Thus, its political power and role is limited to Treaties’ provisions and the Member States remain the key‑actors of the EU’s decision making system until today

A Ideia de Europa da Antiguidade até ao Renascimento

Apresentação descritiva da evolução histórica da ideia da Europa, da Antiguidade até ao Renascimento

A crise dos refugiados: a resposta da União Europeia: uma odisseia sem Ítaca

A União Europeia enfrenta hoje uma série de desafios não só económicos mas também políticos e de segurança, tais como a atual crise migratória e de refugiados, uma crise sem precedentes desde o fim da Segunda Guerra Mundial. O poder da União como potência coletiva e pacífica e com poder económico significativo assume uma importância fundamental para a resolução estrutural da crise migratória atual. Contudo, a falta significativa de solidariedade entre os Estados-Membros conduziu a uma maior desunião e colocou em risco os próprios triunfos do projeto europeu, como é o caso da livre circulação de pessoas e as suas vantagens económico-sociais. Neste contexto, o presente artigo procura tirar certas conclusões sobre a segurança europeia e o verdadeiro poder da União Europeia no que respeita à gestão dos seus desafios atuais, e em particular à resolução da crise migratória e de refugiados.The European Union today faces a series of challenges, not only economic but also political and on security, such as the current migration and refugee crisis, a crisis unprecedented since the end of World War II. The Union's power as a collective and peaceful power with significant economic strength is of essential importance for the structural resolution of the current migratory crisis. However, the significant lack of solidarity between Member States has led to greater disunity and has jeopardized the very triumphs of the European project, such as the free movement of people and their economic and social advantages. In this context, this article seeks to draw certain conclusions about European security and the real power of the European Union with regard to the management of its current challenges, and in particular the resolution of the migration and refugee crisis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio